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Be it known that :[,GEORGE W. McCANN, 'of Springfield, in the county of Clark, and State ot' Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Water-Wheels; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and 'exact description of the same, reference being had to the'accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical section' through the centre of my wheel, its case,`and a portion of the flume.

Figure 2, a'plan view of the top of the wheel-case, showing the arrangements ofthe gates, &c.

Figure 3, a bottom plan of the wheel and case.` v

Figure 4 is a diagram showing the relative positions of the buckets and ports. A

My invention consists, first, in the construction or arrangement of the buckets oi` the wheel, in connection with the gates; whereby the full power of the amount of water used may be utilized without requiring th'e wheel yto` exert the full power due to its size, and whereby the power of the wheel may be graduated to suit the requirements of its service; second, in the construction and loperation of the gates.I That others may under'- stand my invention, I will particularly describe it. l

A is the wheel-case, which also forms a part of the fiume, which lextends upward from its upper edge, as shown in g'. 1. At the bottom of the case, A, is'the bridge, B, composcd'of two barscrossing at right angles, and securely bolted at their ends to the sides oi' the case. A screw, C, with a pointed end lis inserted through the centre of these bars at their junction, and forms the step for the lower end of the wheel-shaft. The wheel, D, is of that class inwhich the water passes through in a line as nearly as possible vertical, acting upon a `series of ogee buckets. -|The buckets, are disposed in two series or rings, one outside of the other, as shown in gs. 1 and 3, and the two series are separated by the vertical partition F. The number of/ buckets in each series, as well as the number of series, may be variedto correspond with the size of the wheel or the character of the work, or supply of water. Above the wheel is a partition contain-ing the ports, G, of which there need not be more than half the number of buckets. 'L lhe ports, G, incline at a different angle from the bucketsfso that as the water descends through them, it will strike with its full momentum into the concave-or upper curve of the bucket, as is clearly shown in iig. 4. The gate, H, is a flat ringl covering the upper ends of the ports, but with spaces, I, which, when brought over the ports, permits the escape of the water to the bucketsl Each series of ports is provided with a separate gate, so that one series may be wholly closed, ,while the other series is'wholly or partiallyvopen. The pressure or shoot-boards, J, are attached to the 4under sides ofthe gates, and extend downward into each port, conforming to the end thereof, so that as the gate is drawn back to uncover the port, the shoot-board will be withdrawn in the same degree, and will with the end of the port forma-duct to convey the water to the wheel, without permitting it to be broken up until it has struck-the wheel.

My invention is to some extent based upon the idea, that to derive the full'measure of powerdue to a certain. quaptity oi' water, it is necessary that the water should -be confined,` as, for instance, with the port halt' open the water in rushing through will only half till the bucket, and will even th'enK be greatly broken into spray. Although the force exerted should theoretically be one-half of that due to the column of water passing through when the ports are entirely open, still it is found to fall far short of that proportion. Ifv the bucket was only half its actual size,'and then half the full quantity of water admitted, the theoretical result would be realized. In order to carry out in practice as nearly as circumstances will permit, these ideas, I construct my wheel with two or more series of buckets as described,.and1 admit the water at the top and vent it atv the bottom, because it is disadvantagcous to deect the column of water from its line of movement if it can be avoided. By making the series of buckets independent of each other, the wheel possesses three perfect powers, z'. e., first, the

inner series alone, second, the outer series alone, third, the two combined, and any imperfect power desired may beobtained by partially opening the gates. The racks and pinions K K and L L, operated by the rods, M, open the gates as required, and the springs, N, always tending to close the gates, keep them constantly pressing against the pinions in one direction, so that the gate at all times occupies a definite position in regard to its pinion, andthe opening of the port does not depend upon any back-lash or play between the cogsfof the rack and piniom The hollow stand-shaft, O,^withV the bearing, P, at its upper end, protects the driving'shaft, R, of the lwheel, D, from contact with the water ofthe flume, and atl'ords it support and a steady bearing tarifs upper end, sothat no change in position of the parts of the ilume in respect to the wheel-caso, A, will throw the d-riving-shaftiout of truth.

I am awarethat Albert A. Wood, of Manlius, Onondaga county, in the State of New York, has invented a. movable shoot-boord, by which the 'stream of Water is conducted so as to impinge upon the floats of the wheel, always/at the same angle, whether the port be Wholly or partially opened, and therefore do not claim said device.

Having described my invention, what I claiin as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The wheel D, with two Lor more series of buckets, substantially as described, in combination with the independent gates H H, for the purpose set forth.

2. In ombinetion with the gates H H', the springs N N, substantially as and for-the purpose set forth.

GEO, W. MC'CANN.

Witnesses:

E. M. KissELL, S. E. GRoss. 

